The effective utilization of a human resources department helps an organization make the most out of their employees for the productivity of their business. However, getting competent employees begins in the recruitment process. In recruiting the goal is to get a pool of applicants that maximizes the possibility of finding the best candidates. From there, the interviews begin and tangible decisions are made on new employees. But what makes a good interview? As we see, interviews can be an often overlooked part of the employee lifespan so learning how to structure an effective interview is a smart business decision.
One can use a variety of methods to select for an interview to test an applicant. These selection methods have varying degrees of reliability, validity, and utility. Reliability is how likely you are to receive the same results when testing multiple times. Validity is measured by if the questions are related to the relevant aspects of job performance. Lastly, utility is the usefulness of this information. Interviews can also be unstructured, or in the case of every interview I have been in, structured. Structured interviews have the same questions for all applicants and might cover behavioral or situational interview questions.
Throughout my working years I have been very lucky to have very positive interview experiences, and to have sat in interview panels as well. The most recent interview I had was for a coordinator position at a summer camp to manage counselors. I have been going to this camp since I was a kid, volunteered there for many years, and was hired as a camp counselor in 2022. While I had been employed there before, and built a rapport with two out of the three people on the hiring committee, this was still a step up in the company ladder. There was a lengthy application process that involved filling out a form with lots of my camp, work, and educational experience. This information is very valid, it would be the same every time I entered it, and is backed up by my references as well as what the employers know about me. Next, there was an interview, and I was sent situational questions to review beforehand. The people on the hiring panel were two of the direct bosses, and then another individual who was more on a peer level for the position being hired. All of them were very warm, personable, and did a good job in rotating who asked questions. We re-covered credentials and went into specific scenarios I could encounter on the job relating to interpersonal conflicts and I gave my answer on how I would navigate the situation. This worked to both inform me as an employee what the day-to-day job might look like, as well as giving the employer the opportunity to see how I would react in situations they had not seen me in before. This information was high in utility and validity, as it was very helpful and relevant to the necessary aspects of the job performance. Overall it was a fantastic interview and I felt very at ease during it, and those feelings are backed up by the fact that it is now my job!
Things to avoid in interviews include obvious questions, or questions that are not related to the job. It is best to avoid yes or no questions, and to not engage with anything that would violate Equal Opportunity Employment laws. The information in this blog post has been taken from my lecture notes from my Human Resources Management class, but you can learn about the interview process from other fields as well. At Oregon State University I also am a scholar of cultural anthropology. In the field of anthropology, interviews are used a lot in varying contexts. The important thing to note from this area of study is that an interview is a collaborative process, and both sides have an influence on the other. When interviewing applicants, it can give you business information on who might be a strong candidate, but also is a good way to advertise your organization as a competent, qualified, and favorable workplace to applicants.